The announcement of a tentative date for Modfest at a Student Union senate meeting last week was made prematurely, Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett said.Union Director of Social Affairs Cindy Kaplan '08 told the Senate last Monday that a tentative date of Oct. 21 had been set for a "modified" version of the popular outdoor party held in the Foster Mods.

But Bennett said that although she and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer had met with Kaplan and Senator for the Class of 2007 Josh Karpoff to discuss options for a campus social event, they had not agreed to a specific date.

"There's no date set for Modfest, nor is there likely to be one in the near future," Bennett said.

The event, which provides free beer to students over 21, was placed under an indefinite "moratorium" last spring by the administration because of concerns that it promotes excessive drinking and results in an abnormally high number of ambulances dispatched on campus in response to intoxicated individuals.

Bennett said she would not have agreed to the Oct. 21 date because she plans to be away from campus that weekend.

"I think [Kaplan] spoke prematurely and if she had realized I was unavailable, she wouldn't have said it," Bennett said.

Kaplan said she had tried to emphasize to the Senate that the Modfest date was "possibly the most tentative date in the world."

The hospitalization of four first-years for intoxication over the weekend-including one incident that took place in the Mods -demonstrated further the reasons behind the instatement of Modfest's moratorium, Bennett said.

"It's just impossible to guarantee the safety of underage students drinking in the private residences of the Mods," she said. "We can't do it."

Kaplan told the Justice last week that possible solutions to the underage-drinking problem currently under discussion include the implementation of alcohol-awareness programs during the week prior to a large-scale event and the scheduling of "very attractive" supervised events aimed at drawing student away from drinking in their rooms.

"Everyone has the safety of the student body in mind, and that's a good thing," Kaplan said.

The office of Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer referred inquiries to Bennett.

Sitting in Java City Monday evening, Rivka Maizlish '10 said she understood the administration was concerned about safety but didn't think the moratorium was reasonable.

"It doesn't stop first-years from pre-gaming if they want to, it just stops an event that sounded like fun," she said.